Tag: tension headaches

Researchers said there was “promising evidence” for acupuncture in treating cramps, but that more work was needed.

In the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, they noted two studies found little difference between real and sham acupuncture in treating pain.

Acupuncture is a less contentious form of complementary medicine than some, but its value is still disputed.

Period pain can be severe in some women and may be accompanied by nausea, diarrhoea, migraine and backache. Common treatments include pain killers, applying heat and exercise – although a recent study questioned the efficacy of the latter.

This latest review involved 27 studies – which included nearly 3,000 women. They addressed a variety of forms of acupuncture – from classical to acupoint injection.

Traditional acupuncturists insert needles in acupuncture points located along what they describe as “energy meridians” – a concept for which many scientists say there is no evidence. Sham acupuncture places needles away from these points.

It is not clear whether either form alleviates pain as a result of the placebo effect – the very ritual of undergoing acupuncture – or cause subtle changes in the nervous system and brain activity which can be beneficial.

Nice backs needles

The analysis by the team from Kyung Hee Medical Centre found that patients with severe period pain reported a greater reduction in their symptoms when using acupuncture compared with pharmacological treatments.

But they stressed there were methodological flaws in some studies, and that the findings did need to be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, there was “promising evidence”, they wrote.

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has backed the use of acupuncture in the treatment of low back pain – a move welcomed by some but criticised by those who say there is little evidence for its efficacy.

The editor-in-chief of the BJOG, Professor Philip Steer, noted that some women had period pain, also known as primary dysmenorrhoea, so badly they were “unable to function normally”.

“Women with primary dysmenorrhoea should consult their GPs or gynaecologists on the best treatment available to them. Complementary therapies should not be used exclusively, at the expense of conventional treatment, unless significant improvements have been made and your doctor tells you otherwise.”

Commentary: Despite the growing evidence the press and medical researchers will never give credit where credit is due. Statements such as, “Complementary therapies should not be used exclusively, at the expense of conventional treatment, unless significant improvements have been made and your doctor tells you otherwise,” show the continued arrogance of the medical community against of safe, effective natural therapies and the intention to have patients not be a participant in their own care. “At the expense of conventional therapies?” What exactly are those conventional therapies? Muscle relaxants, hormones, NSAIDS. The choice is yours to make…..Dr. D.

ScienceDaily (2010-02-05) — New research about the effects of acupuncture on the brain may provide an understanding of the complex mechanisms of acupuncture and could lead to a wider acceptability of the treatment.

About nine months ago the HEEL Rx Club started its work. The intention was to create a club that provides something special and adds some useful benefits to the practice of natural medicine, and in particular the use of HEEL natural medicine sin their injectable form to which oftentimes have a turbo effect in helping patients with a variety of health conditions.

The HEEL Rx Club now has approximately 500 members and Scott Denny, PhD, AP, DOM is one of those original members because of his work in natural medicine.

Heel was originally founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1979 by Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg, MD, as Biological Homeopathic Industries (BHI). Dr. Reckeweg, who also founded Heel in Baden-Baden, Germany in 1936, relocated to the United States to continue his scientific investigations and introduce U.S. practitioners to Homotoxicology and the Heel products involved in its application.

Today, Heel is one of the largest homeopathic pharmaceutical manufacturers in the world, with distribution in over 60 countries. “Heel” stands for Herba est ex luce, which translates to: “plants come from the light”.

Americans frequently use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to deal with chronic pain, according to a comprehensive federal survey.

Thirty-eight percent of adults and 12 percent of children use some form of CAM, which is also called “integrative’ medicine, according to the report by the National Center for Health Statistics. Unlike alternative treatments, CAM methods are often used in conjunction with conventional treatment practices.

For adults, CAM use has remained steady since the last survey was taken in 2002. But the most recent data shows increases in the use of acupuncture, deep breathing, meditation, massage therapy and yoga.

What the study doesn’t reflect is how many people are interested in CAM “but don’t know how to pursue it,” said Robert Dumont, a Loyola University Health System pediatrician who practices CAM–including Chinese medicine, herbal, acupuncture and homeopathy–and was not involved in the research.

“There’s a silent majority that doesn’t have the wherewithal or know-how to approach it. No one has ever quizzed people: ‘If you could safely do this, would you?'” he said.

Also, more people would pursue CAM if more doctors offered it, he said. But, he added that “I find that physicians in general are more resistant [to CAM] than patients.”

Still, the numbers may help guide research agenda.

“What I’m most struck with is how people are turning to CAM methods to treat chronic pain,” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM.) “This has important implications for where we need to invest research dollars.”

Adults used CAM most often to treat pain including back pain or problems, neck pain or problems, joint pain or stiffness/other joint condition, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Women (42.8 percent, compared to men 33.5 percent), Those aged 30-69 (30-39 years: 39.6 percent, 40-49 years: 40.1 percent, 50-59 years: 44.1 percent, 60-69 years: 41.0 percent), Those with higher levels of education (Masters, doctorate or professional: 55.4 percent) , Those who were not poor (poor: 28.9 percent, near poor: 30.9 percent, not poor: 43.3 percent), Those living in the West (44.6 percent), Those who have quit smoking (48.1 percent).

CAM Use Among Children?

Overall, about 1 in 9 children use CAM methods, but the researchers noted the numbers might be higher than results indicate, especially among adolescents who might not tell their parents they were using CAM methods. Children are five times more likely to use CAM if a parent or other relative uses CAM, the survey found.

Other characteristics of adult and child CAM users are similar—factors such as socioeconomic status, geographic region, the number of health conditions, the number of doctor visits in the last 12 months, and delaying or not receiving conventional care because of cost are all associated with CAM use.

Among children who used CAM in the past 12 months, CAM therapies were used most often for back or neck pain, head or chest colds, anxiety or stress, other musculoskeletal problems, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD).

The survey, conducted as part of the 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), had several limitations. It relied on the respondents’ memory and or their willingness to accurately report their use of CAM. The data was also collected at a single point in time so it didn’t follow an individual’s use of CAM.

More and more people are choosing biological medication when ill. The reason for this change is two-fold; the growing awareness and benefit of living a healthy lifestyle and, concerns over the possible side effects of chemical drugs.

What does the term “biological medicine” really mean?

Biological medicine is treating the body as the whole system which means treating mind, body and spirit. Biological medicine helps the body heal itself through the activation of its own defence mechanisms. This concept of biological medicine is also found in homotoxicology and homeopathy.

What is homoeopathy?

Dr. Saumel Hahnemann developed the area of medicine known as homoeopathy over 150 years ago. Homoeopathy can best be described as treating an illness with a medicinal substance which, in a healthy individual, causes symptoms similar to those of the disease itself. Like an inoculation, homoeopathic medicine activates the body’s own defense mechanism and stimulates the immune system into action.

Why are homoeopathic medications diluted?

Almost all medicinal substances used in homoeopathy are derived from plants. They are diluted, or attenuated (homoeopathically processed), in order to prevent the individual from reacting too violently to the medicinal substances. An alchol solution is used to attenuate medications taken as drops, sterile saline water for ampoules and lactose (milk sugar) is used for tablets.

What is homotoxicology?

Expanding on the fundamentals of homoeopathy, Dr. H.H. Reckeweg developed homotoxicology views illness as the bodys natural process of defense against the disease-causing materials known as homotoxins. These body defense processes manifest themselves in a variety of symptoms such as fever, inflammation, dirrhea, weakness and general malaise. Dr.H.H. Reckeweg used his own medications that he termed “antihomotoxic” preparations when treating patients.

How do antihomotoxic preparations work?

Antihomotoxic preparations consist of a number of medicinally active, homoeopathically processed substances. Each component amplifies the effectiveness of the others, thus providing effective help to an even complicated pathological processes. Antihomotoxic preparations activate the body’s own defensive system, thereby neutralizing the disease causing homotoxins.

For which diseases can antihomotoxic preparations be prescribed?

Antihomotoxic medications are successfully employed in treating chronic illnesses, ailments of the respiratory system, worn joints and rheumatic disorders. Also, excellent therapeutic results can be achieved when treating gastrointestinal tract disoreders, dissiness, influenza etc. Antihomotoxic medications should always be taken under the supervision of a health care practitioner.

What are the advantages of antihomotoxic medication?

Antihomotoxic preparations have very few side effects and they may easily be combined with other types of medications. This advantage is particularly important to chronically ill patients who are required to take several medications at the same time. It means reducing the unpredictable risks of intolerance and side effects, thereby improving the quality of life for the patient.

The standard treatment of common winter ailments is mainly based on the suppression of symptoms. Patients take antibiotics, cough syrups and pain medications without consideration for the short and long term consequences. These medications do have consequences and never address making the patient’s own immune system function better. Instead they suppress the body’s own protective mechanisms (fever, sweating, cough) along with producing side effects.

For example, the FDA has issued a Public Health Advisory to parents recommending that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products should not be used to treat infants and children less than 2 years of age because serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur from such use. According to the FDA’s news release there are a wide variety of rare, serious adverse events reported with cough and cold products. They include convulsions, rapid heart rates, decreased levels of consciousness and death. These side effects are not just limited to children and many adults experience problems. This leaves patients to wonder what treatments are safe and effective.

Heel offers safe, effective and natural medicines for adults and children suffering from common cold and flu symptoms. Physicians may confidently recommend many Heel medicines for their patients including:

Gripp-Heel® for the acute onset of cold and flu symptoms (injectable, tabs)

Lymphomyosot® for the treatment of swollen lymph nodes and support of immune function

These products act rapidly to soothe and relieve the discomfort of cold and flu symptoms without overdosing precautions or suppressive side effects. There are no concerns about the combination of Heel medications and any standard pharmaceuticals. These products are available through health care practitioners, pharmacies and health food stores.

Heel Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Heel GmbH, which is one of the world’s largest homeopathic pharmaceutical manufacturers with distribution in over 60 countries.

As the cold and flu season approaches we want to prepare our practices for the influx of patients presenting with colds and flu. We also want to keep our patients as healthy as possible and give them the added benefit of staving off the flu or common cold to the best of our ability. You now have such a tool with Engystol®.

Engystol® is a combination homeopathic injectable containing Asclepias vincetoxicum (6X, 10X, 30X) and sulfur (4x, 10x). The specific indication for Engystol® is the activation of the non specific immune systems, particularly in influenza-like infections and viral diseases in general. The medication comes in injectable ampules, oral vials and tablets, but specifically we are looking at the injectable form with the following study.

Dr. Heilmann conducted a study looking at the prophylactic effects of Engystol® on a population of 102 healthy males, to assess the effectiveness of prevention of colds and flu. This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.1 The men were given twice weekly injections of either Engystol® or isotonic saline, for three weeks, then observed for eight weeks following the injections.

Overall, there was no difference in frequency of occurrence with colds or flu between the groups. However, there was a considerable difference in the length of time between the last injection and the onset of either a cold or the flu, with the Engystol® group running an average of 34 days and the control group only going 19 days, before they became infected with either a cold or the flu. The length of illness was also substantially different between the groups, with the Engystol® group having an average length of illness for 11 days and the control group with the length of illness being 16 days. Based on set criteria in the study, the severity of the illness was also less for the Engystol® group, compared to the control.

So, with the duration of illness being shorter, the severity of symptoms less and the greater length of time between cessation of the injections and the onset of illness with the Engystol® group, we can hypothesize that Engystol® made a significant difference in the treatment for colds and flu. The application of Engystol® as an immunomodulator is favorable in the treatment of uncomplicated viral infections. Engystol® also provides the added benefit of no known side effects, contraindications or drug interactions. Therefore with most patients, you should be able to easily add Engystol® into a prophylactic protocol for protecting your patient population from the unwelcome effects of colds or the flu this season. Dr. Denny uses this and many other natural medicine products to treat a variety of conditions.